Cub Games and Soul Names
by Eternal Sailor Chibi
Summary: Just a random two-page bit I wrote for an holt I joined. About two OCs who Recognize-worth it if you want a quick mush read.


Cub Games and Soul Names

"Peace! Come play!"

The young elf groaned and rolled over, pulling another fur over herself to guard against the cold air coming from the opening of her den-an opening that should have been covered by a leather door-flap. Peace scowled and sat up to see her younger sister, bundled up so much it was amazing she could still move, grinning at her from the doorway. She sighed. "I don't want to play," she replied sullenly, turning so her back was to the cub.

Snapdragon blinked, tears welling up in her eyes, and she sniffed once.

"But Mama said you would!"

Peace sighed again. Yes, that was their mother all over. "All right, all right!" She sat up, flattening down her bed-messy hair.

Snapdragon immediately became angelic, and stepped inside, blocking out the cold air once again when she lowered the door-flap. She sat down next to the door, waiting as her older sister dressed, and tied her hair back into its normal messy ponytail. "What do you want to play?"

Snapdragon paused, as she obviously hadn't considered this. "Um...Hide and seek! I go hide, and you find me!"

_Of all the games she could have picked…_ "All right, hide and seek it is. I'll count, so you can go hide." Peace closed her eyes, knowing that no matter how long she gave the cub, it would still be easy to find her.

"One...two...three..." She smirked as she listened to the giggling of a cub close-by who was sure their hiding spot was perfect. "Seven...eight..." Snapdragon fell silent. "Nine...ten. Ready or not, here I come!"

Peace opened her eyes and looked around. Not surprisingly, her sister was nowhere in direct view. However, a clump of bushes to the left of her looked rather suspicious with something brown lurking behind them. Quickly looking away before Snapdragon would notice she had found the hiding spot, she pretended to search a few trees away. She searched the ground, glancing around snow-covered trees and bare, frozen bushes. She saw a few footprints left over from when the hunters had returned the night before, and then, a pair of fur-covered feet.

Peace stopped.

"What is this, a new hobby?"

Gritting her teeth to keep back a sharp reply, Peace drew herself up to look at her nemesis, Icebane. "I'm looking for my sister." She managed to make it sound somewhat civil.

"Oh, I see. You lost her." Icebane smirked. "This is what, the third time?"

Peace glared at him. "She's not lost, we're playing hide and seek."

"I thought you grew out of that? Haven't you told me time and time again that you're not a cub?" He crossed his arms, giving her a quizzical look, which she matched with one of hidden infuriation.

"When you get a family, you'll understand," she replied snidely.

This hit home, and Icebane's smile faded. "That was low," he replied.

_That was the point._ "So sorry, Icebane, I forgot you don't have one."

He scowled at her. "Enough. I'm going."

Just as he started to turn to leave, however, something struck; a sudden, utterly unexpected, unwanted, and, at least to Peace, unfamiliar feeling.

...Reil? She mind-whispered reluctantly, hoping against hope it wasn't..._that_.

Icebane looked as shocked as she did, opening his mouth and closing it again several times before finally closing it, swallowing, and nodding.

Peace was ready to die. To have Recognized Icebane, the one man in the tribe she absolutely couldn't stand..."But...why?"

He shook his head. Of course, he wouldn't know either. "I'm sorry. I guess we'll just have to make the best of this..."

"I guess that's all we can do."

"I'll-"

"I win, I win, I win!"

The moment, for whatever it was worth, was spoiled, and Peace and Icebane both glanced down at Snapdragon, who had bounded out of her hiding place behind the bush and run over to them. She blinked at the grim looks on their faces. "Um...is something wrong?"

Peace and Icebane glanced at each other, making the diplomatic decision to save explanations for later.

""No," Peace answered, picking up her sister. "Ready to go back to Mama?"

Snapdragon nodded vigorously.

The elder began to carry her away, allowing herself to smile faintly at the touch of Icebane's mind.

Maybe it was your comment about my not having a family that sparked it. Of course, all things considered, that won't be true for long.


End file.
